tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34278796309418827012024-03-08T00:34:09.387-08:00Trivium LostThe New Traditioners:
The content for this blog is Fine Arts and education related. No politics . And yes I consider converting an ice maker into a candy dispenser a fine art!La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-14868564404782787102011-07-22T05:55:00.000-07:002011-10-06T05:04:19.490-07:00The Joy of Innovation<i>How to turn your refrigerator ice dispenser into candy land:</i><br />
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<i>1. Disengage the water source (should be located by your hot water heater) leave the electric valve in the on position.</i><br />
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<i>2. Remove ice from tray/bin and clean/dry.</i><br />
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<i>3. Pour 1lb of M&M's into tray...or more depending on the size of your ice bin. (the M&M's are ideal because of their coating they will freeze well and stain will be minimal).</i><br />
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<i>4. Place tray back into ice maker location in your refrigerator.</i><br />
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<i>5. Hold a glass or cup to the release button on your refrigerator door, select "cube" to avoid broken pieces of M& M's and enjoy! The kids in the neighborhood will love you... the parents won't ;)</i>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-2596642733903881332011-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:002011-10-06T04:56:00.902-07:00Letters: temples of worship or the problem of Ugly catholic churchesDear........<br />
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A couple of years ago while I was attending Drexel University, I was introduced to some great people at Saint Agatha's Church which made my time at Drexel so much sweeter. The buildings, however, (Penn Newman, Drexel Newman) did not reflect in any way the kind of dignity and inspiration that we as catholics express through our community and after speaking to Father.......... and a few others, it was clear that the Penn Newman center should have (architecturally) better ecclesial harmony with the adjacent and beautiful St. Agatha's Church.<br />
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Having returned to Mater Ecclesia and seen the beauty of the mystical body, I was inclined to respond by using my gifts for the good of the community at large. After spending some time both at Penn Newman and Drexel Newman for those coveted moments of refuge and prayer and seeing the ten o' clock evening Mass adorned by so many collegial faithful--my inclinations were reaffirmed. We truly are the seedlings of the 'New Springtime' that John Paul II had seen and proclaimed to the world by his apostolic love and authority. Why shouldn't this have influence on the buildings that we use? As a catholic, I feel it necessary that we usher in this 'Beauty' by looking at the built environment and our temples of worship with a stronger catechesis. Architecture possesses ideology and we who are most vulnerable to the decline in precedence in buildings should be the ones to promote an architecture that is efficacious for a present-day renaissance. There is something to be said about a time when men looked at architecture and said:" <i>non-murato ma veramenta nato</i>" (Vasari, 16th century painter, architect).<br />
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This time for the Church is a return to orthodoxy, a time of renewal, and a time to joyfully adhere to the teachings that have always produced fruit. After reading Pope Benedict XVI's Post -Apostolic Synod '<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS</span>'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">I was encouraged by his attention to the Eucharistic community and his emphasis on the Eucharist and how every catholic reform has had to do with the recognition of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist among the people. This is by no coincidence. This is the kind of catechesis that we as 'young catholics' are so craving. Our culture is equally craving community. The task at hand for us as designers and architects then, is to render these truths by preparing a place for the banquet table wherever the faithful gather. As all elements of classical architecture come in three's, so it is with the Church, the Trinity and so I trust that I am not alone in these efforts. This venture for me is like the restoring of an ancient Icon as I look to Our Lady of Perpetual Help or I should say the 'Arc (architecture) of the covenant', for guidance.</span></i><br />
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</span>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-49502577180929511812011-07-14T17:22:00.001-07:002011-10-06T04:59:58.940-07:00Learning is social<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Philosophy of Education<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> As a life long learner, I am continually pondering the purpose and value of education and my role as a classroom teacher. My decision to become an educator was forecast by a series of life experiences and lessons that have touched me deeply and produced further self-examination. My many entrances and exits on stage as a performer, actress and musician, have lead me to this new arena of teaching and upon reflection of my own process as a life apprentice, I have learned and continue to discover the reasons why I want to teach. As students and teachers we are presented with sophisticated “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isms</i>” based on the cumulative history of education and as a result, I have gleaned and discerned from valuable perspectives, and now consider myself a “retrogressive” teacher who embraces both traditional philosophies and progressive forms of teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> My own philosophy of education hinges on what I believe to be true of two compelling factors: Children are inherently good and learning is social. I have divided my philosophy into two parts, the former exploring behavior and the latter knowledge. The debate over epistemology has prompted me to ask: “Where is the poetry? Where is the philosophy? Where is the art of learning”? The twofold application of knowledge, both material and philosophical, is being lost on our young. It is in the art of teaching that we can transcend the invasive pragmatism that has occupied our schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> As a teacher I am not only dedicated to student achievement and success by providing equitable opportunities and experiences, celebrating differences and developing relationships, but I equally want to cultivate a classroom culture that inspires a sense of beauty, creativity and responsible citizenship that addresses the whole child. Through dedication and commitment, I am hopeful that I can be a vital part in shaping character and young minds to question, discover and nurture mutual respect for the common good and not merely provide students with basic skills to serve a job market in constant flux.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Behavior<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I know now that my own behavior and self-discipline will be the anchor for the classroom. Setting up a sense of belonging through morning meetings and shaping behavior is essential to teaching content and creating a safe environment for my students to ask questions. My children will benefit from the reflective listening approach and the positive example that I set in the classroom. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I believe that children grow up with a *private logic and belong by constructive behavior or destructive behavior. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The concept of private logic is really for me the bull’s eye as far as understanding children and their goals of misbehavior. The ability to shift that private logic in a child is powerful and resonates on many levels, as it is something that can serve not only in the classroom, but also in all relationships. I am excited to implement a chalkboard acknowledgement strategy as a class management tool to recognize, publicly, the children who are demonstrating constructive behavior. It is in them—they are waiting for us to see it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> In my student teaching experience, I witnessed an imbalance of recognition of destructive behavior and when I had implemented my “chalkboard acknowledgment method” the results were immediate. I watched children compete for constructive behavior, which increased the more they were recognized among peers. I had the chance to reflect with misbehaving students, which intrigued them. This was effective because they felt cared for and acknowledged and I was able to find the root of their problem. The advantage of the probing and reflecting is that I am modeling for them how to listen and articulate themselves, incorporating state standards into class management and encouraging character building through accountability. I use goal incentives in my classroom, which motivate students to be self-reflective and raise their emotional I.Q. establishing a pre-emptive plan to reduce misbehavior and enhance a rich learning environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Knowledge<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I can’t help but wonder how we have disadvantaged children in our public school system in terms of our axiology. This is no doubt a reflection of our own discouragement and our disconnection from wonderment and beauty. Is there a way to move beyond a utilitarian and capitalistic scope? In a sense we are preparing our children to offer us services rather then their minds, their creativity and their dreams, which will in the long run benefit our society both economically and socially. Should our curriculums be adapted to suit specific professions and industries as Spencer suggested? Is the study of beauty or “otherness” trumped in a technological world? Should we be strictly utilitarian in our goals for our children? Plato and Aristotle certainly did not see the contemplation of mysteries and beauty as a threat to human kind, nor has the wisdom of Arabic and Nigerian proverbs lost its efficacy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I am dedicated to motivating children to succeed by employing the higher order thinking skills that are embedded in arts pedagogy. The visual and performing arts in particular require children to analyze, evaluate, synthesize and create. I know how to reach children and because I am a kinesthetic and visual learner I am keen in delivering instruction that explores all learning modalities. The social aspect of learning is important to me as it extends outside the classroom into the hallways, next-door, in the collaboration with teachers, staff, para-professionals, parents and the community. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">In processing this new language of teaching as a student myself, I think about my own future students and wonder how my little ones will process information and knowledge. How will I instruct them and encourage them? How will I comfort them when they feel overwhelmed? How will I model practical ways of learning that are tailored to their needs and interests? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The best way to learn is to teach. If I am to impart my students the kind of rigor that I propose for myself, then I need to be my own advocate for higher education. As a creative person, it is in the teaching realm that I can be fully realized and this is an observation that I have made over the years working in multiple avenues of the arts. I have been given the desire and ability to enter the field of education with a vision for my children to create a playground that is safe, conducive to learning and inspires in them the passion to question, discover, create and synthesize what they have learned in the classroom. I want to step into the ring of public education in a way that is compassionate and supports diversity in order to revisit and assist my community in improving the way we view education. What are lacking in education are expectation and a redeeming attitude that all children possess the highest potential for excellence in proportion to their comfort levels and I firmly believe that it is my role as a teacher to instill this kind of confidence in them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> As a teacher, I am embarking on another course of formation, one that hopefully will influence the culture of my classroom and will benefit my students. I am confident now that I have so many tools to use and I am prepared for the very slow, incremental but life changing effects it will have on them. The art of </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">teaching facilitates my own growth as an educator, mentor and coach by demanding self-examination, inter-disciplinary knowledge and social awareness. The art of teaching transcends the sphere of formal knowledge and requires me to consider their personhood of my students and not just their apparent abilities and skills based on a set of standards. I want to teach in order to equip my students with an awareness of universal principals and virtues, which inform education and enhance learning outcomes for the greater good of society and social redeeming value. It is my social responsibility to advocate the kind of holistic approach that bestows my students the freedom to explore their highest potential as honored members and active participants in our society. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> * See: http://selfdisciplinedkids.blogspot.com</span></div>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-44723896263378677992011-05-19T10:59:00.000-07:002011-05-19T11:02:41.543-07:00Campbell to design kindergarten school in Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A recent grad student from the Master of Arts in Education Program at Rosemont to design a kindergarten school in Saint Thomas, Jamaica<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Regina Campbell, a recent graduate (May 2011) of the Master of Arts in Education Program at Rosemont, has embarked on a design/education project for an eco-village in Jamaica. Shortly after turning in her final portfolio, she was contacted by a former classmate from her previous design studies at Drexel and was asked to design a kindergarten school in Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica. Over the course of a one week charrette, Ms. Campbell completed the schematic drawings, floor plans, details and elevations for a multi-purpose school building for twenty kindergarten children and staff. The 25’ by 40’ school is to open September 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The project was a challenge and needed to be designed within the parameters of a long metal hurricane-proof structure called a “Quonset,” a difficult structure to design in order to create optimal living conditions. It was Ms. Campbell’s task to craft a school structure that would inspire learning, promote humane qualities, and create an aesthetically pleasing environment. As a designer, she emphasized what she called the ‘architectonics of well being’ and the human aspects of design that should never be neglected. Her experience working with mentor and Classical Architect, Alvin Holm, taught her about the universal values of Classical design and its inherent “green” components. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Keeping in mind the needs of the local climate and culture of the community, the walls are made using an earthbag method. Other materials used in the design include a vaulted ceiling out of timber and bamboo, and partial screens made from palm leaves taken from a coconut farm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Regina Campbell is grateful for this opportunity to be sharing her background and training in both Design and Education to further render the mission of the Eco Village Program, and enable the community to experience a building that inspires and elevates, while promoting excellence and the joy of learning. She is excited to have the chance to visit the site in July with an opportunity to teach a preview workshop for the school.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-21283093296958182282010-11-10T11:27:00.000-08:002010-11-11T13:08:57.649-08:00Our Buildings Express Our Era<a href="http://www.traditional-building.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">http://www.traditional-building.com/</span></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.alvinholm.com/">http://www.alvinholm.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The idea that there are no longer Craftsmen around to build like this--is a myth. They are around and eager to honor the tradition passed down to them. The loss of 'Delight' from the old rule "Firmness, Commodity and Delight" took us through a grimm period of siding, minimal details and awkward spaces. Modernism had us believe that buildings we have seen in the early 20th Century are no longer feasible but traditional architecture is inherantly 'g*&*n'--that pesky word...grrr. The materials used where always local and had graceful aging properties. Look at any building before 1945 and you will see their harmonious permanence, and how they 'sing' as Al Holm once commented. It costs more money to build these buildings which protest with odd angles than it does the four-square which is more desirable for human well-being. If the material of choice for modernists is glass, than the feasibility argument goes out the window as houses made of glass are far more costly and in the long run will be just that---glass houses. Sorry Gropius, your Glass Cathedral called, it needs brick and a little romance back.</span>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-70315951995699074202010-11-10T10:50:00.001-08:002010-11-10T10:50:25.692-08:00<a href="http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/">http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/</a>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-77176003052905147362010-11-10T10:49:00.001-08:002010-11-10T10:49:27.232-08:00<a href="http://www.period-homes.com/">http://www.period-homes.com/</a>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-70720043301222090272010-11-10T10:47:00.002-08:002010-11-10T10:47:58.696-08:00La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-11760128470612642602010-11-10T10:47:00.000-08:002010-11-10T10:47:14.511-08:00<a href="http://www.classicist.org/">http://www.classicist.org/</a>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-78689548759229148242010-11-10T10:34:00.001-08:002010-11-10T10:34:27.678-08:00Some quick Vignola<a href="http://theclassicalorders.com/thetuscanorder.html">http://theclassicalorders.com/thetuscanorder.html</a>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-23882921501333088742010-11-09T09:04:00.001-08:002010-11-10T14:50:50.571-08:00Yannick Nezet-Seguin speaks about Music and Sacred Order<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df9sFObZm9M">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df9sFObZm9M</a>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427879630941882701.post-70285947898682821012010-11-08T18:38:00.001-08:002010-11-10T18:49:56.520-08:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">School of the Mundane<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> It has been perpetually snowing and I have been thinking about writing for four days now. Aquinas is on my mind and I can’t help but wonder how we have disadvantaged children in our public school system in terms of our epistemology. This is no doubt a reflection of our own discouragement and our disconnection from wonderment and beauty. Is there a way to move beyond a utilitarian and capitalistic scope? In a sense we are preparing our children to offer us services rather then their minds, their creativity and their dreams, which will in the long run benefit our society both economically and socially.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> A sense of wonder and mystery is devoid in our schools and we deliberate over why children are bored, dissatisfied and failing miserably. Although Aquinas’ philosophy of education had theology at it’s core, it was inclusive and his natural theology as expressed in Summa Thelogicae allowed for reasonable debates via the questioning model. His point of view was that you did not have to be religious or conjure up esoteric equations to contemplate mystery or things unknown. Through this I see a return to more classical forms of learning (if not natural theology) as effective in schools in terms of meta-cognition and drawing children outside of themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Should our curriculums be adapted to suit specific professions and industries as Spencer suggested? Is the study of beauty or “otherness” trumped in a technological world? Should we be strictly utilitarian in our goals for our children? Plato and Aristotle certainly did not see the contemplation of mysteries and beauty as a threat to human kind, nor has the wisdom of Arabic and Nigerian proverbs lost its efficacy. I am thinking of a formal dialogue of universal values--This discipline would lead children to be unbiased and contribute in these discussions. They would learn from others and grow in their own logic and discourse and develop a voice that is their own, conscientious and respectful. What am I thinking? This is not new. Natural theology challenges the mind and requires openness to “otherness” that I believe children are craving in a narcissistic, entitlement-driven society. Through reasoning, children discover, synthesize and learn how to formulate arguments and questions about their world. How much more interesting, engaging and fitting is this kind of discipline within a diverse classroom?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> I believe Spencer was right in his prediction that public schools would become mediocre, not in terms of catering to the average but in terms of offering average curriculums. Have we asked children why they are unhappy in school? Have we sat down with them and asked them what is happening and what would restore their motivation in school? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> I am fully aware that my background in liberal arts has shaped my thinking and made me perhaps biased towards a more classical curriculum. Nevertheless, I am trying to connect the missing pieces, some traditional, others as Dorothy Sayers coined, “retrogressive-progressive” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lost Tools of Learning</i>, Sayers, 2006). Plato’s Trivium (grammar, logic and rhetoric) for instance, is foundational and came about through diligent observation of developmental psychology, as we would see it today. These fundamental rubrics of learning are either missing in our curriculums or they are quickly being replaced by an invasive spirit of pragmatism. Where is the poetry? Where is the philosophy? Where is the art of learning? The twofold application of subjects, both material and philosophical, is being lost on our young. “Although we often succeed in teaching our pupils “subjects”, we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think: they learn everything but the art of learning” (Sayers, 2006). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Unless we embark on a rigorous debate over the pros and cons of progressive pedagogy, the general public will continue to conclude that progressive curriculums possess the only contemporary and relevant solutions for learning. I hope however to consider and identify the good of both a classical curriculum and a progressive alternative to avoid any unnecessary polemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The first oversight made by progressives was to mistranslate the language of a classical or traditional education. They codified it as a sterile reading and drilling method without seeing the cognitive purposes of memorization, linguistic discipline and what I call embedded instruction. This kind of instruction (which I will further develop), offers a rich pedagogy while on the outside seems cold and factual. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Many attempts to research the two contrasting pedagogies for comparative outcomes seem counter-productive. I see no validity in comparing student performance in differing pedagogy, when each curriculum calls for a different set of assessment strategies and grading rubrics. There are, however, striking differences in students who learned grammar, logic and rhetoric as their foundational studies. They are better able to handle a job market in constant flux and they are more likely to improvise in times of crisis and find creative ways of problem solving. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Implied in the classical curriculum is the notion that education is the gentle unraveling of knowledge, whereas progressive curriculums insists on immediate response to experience which is not always productive for a child. The emphasis on teaching based on needs and interests is equally problematic when at a young age; children don’t always know what their needs or interests are. It is often the case that a skill must be developed prior to formulating an interest and not the other way around. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The progressives will speak of constructionist learning as if an entirely new way of thinking when most traditions see it as a necessary process. Guilds and craftsmen equally understand the ‘learning by doing’ mantra. For example, the architect who studies classical architecture must first hand draft the Orders to grasp scale and proportion and kinesthetically acquire an aesthetic disposition. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> There are nuances in traditional programs that progressives have not recognized because they are embedded in the ‘subjects’ themselves. For instance, the subject of Mathematics has within its scope a multitude of cognitive attributes that prepare the student for further development of logic, which is the prerequisite for problem solving. This is not some antiquated subject that needs to be “updated” for the times. It is an archetypal learning measure, which will later enhance the understanding of music and philosophy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Dewey’s prized claim over the scientific method has been long applied in the classical curriculum. The Logic portion of the Trivium requires that a child use scientific methods in order to find solutions to problems. Sound familiar? The emphasis, however, on language is stronger and has more validity in the classical curriculum. Although Dewey understood the importance of language, metaphor and symbol, he was more concerned about the initial experience of them and not a collective agreement on the power of their usage. The deficiencies that we will find as more and more progressive schools move away from a language-based pedagogy are found in terms of social acquiescence. As fewer students develop linguistically, they will have difficulty socially and will have been disconnected from what Mortimer Adler calls “The Great Conversation”. They will on a very basic level lack the skills to have meaningful conversations as their reference points will draw closer and closer together. Their metaphors will only go as far as the latest comment from twitter or a micro-blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Although I appreciate and agree with the variety of learning strategies to keep children focused on learning objectives, there is no substitute for quality time spent on a particular study. It is imperative now, in light of the speed at which children are exposed to information, that extended periods of time be dedicated to a child’s single focus. “The beauty of the classical curriculum, is that it dwells on one problem, one author, or one epoch long enough to allow even the youngest student a chance to exercise the mind in a scholarly way: to make connections and trace developments, lines of reasoning, patterns of action, recurring symbolism, plots, motifs” (David Hicks). This is life-saving in a hyper-digital world and will expose in a tangible way, the adverse affects of rejecting traditional forms of learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
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</div>La Quebecoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09136953855210731584noreply@blogger.com0